Kano Task Force Rallies Business Community to Drive Voter Registration

The Kano State Task Force Committee on the Mobilisation of Voter Registration, through its Sub-Committee on Engagement with the Business Community, has intensified efforts to boost participation in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by engaging key stakeholders from the state’s business community.

The one-day stakeholders’ engagement, held at the conference hall of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), brought together market leaders, business associations and other stakeholders to discuss strategies for mobilising eligible residents to register as voters ahead of future elections.

A popular Kano businessman and leader, Alhaji Sabiu Bako at in interview with the Independent Post at event, urged Kano business community members to ensure the registration of their employees and family members.

He appreciated Kano government efforts of mobilizing citizens from all sectors to participate in the voter registration exercise.

Speaking also at the event, the Chairman of the Amalgamated Market Traders Association (AMATA), Alhaji Musa Na Banki, appealed to the Kano State Government to provide transportation and other logistical support to enable eligible citizens to access voter registration centres across the state.

He said the intervention would ease the challenges faced by prospective registrants, increase voter enrolment and strengthen democratic participation. He also urged leaders of business and market associations to sensitise their members on the importance of registering to vote, stressing that participation in elections remains a fundamental civic responsibility.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Enlightenment Committee of the Kano Business Community, Tijjani Abdullahi Sarki, who represented the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, said the engagement was organised to enlighten business leaders on the significance of voter registration and their role in mobilising eligible citizens.

According to him, the business community represents a formidable voting bloc capable of influencing electoral outcomes when united.

“The business community has a powerful voice. If properly mobilised, it can shape leadership through the ballot box,” he said.

Sarki also advised individuals who had lost their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or wished to correct errors in their names, addresses or other personal details to take advantage of the ongoing exercise to update their records.

He further urged business leaders to mobilise not only their members but also their families and associates to register and participate actively in elections. He encouraged eligible voters to remain patient throughout the electoral process to ensure that every lawful vote is counted.

Sarki assured participants that all observations, recommendations and concerns raised during the stakeholders’ meeting would be conveyed to the main task force committee for appropriate action.

Also speaking, the representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hajiya Faduwa Hamid Umar, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter is registered.

She urged members of the business community to take full advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise and encouraged all qualified citizens to register in order to participate in future elections.